


The Voltron Show: Homecoming!!

by welpparnasse



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Post-Canon, Stage Play, They love each other, gay pining mess, the voltron show, theatre (kinda), they just can't do anything about that cause they're gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 01:03:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15984266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welpparnasse/pseuds/welpparnasse
Summary: Never underestimate ordinary gays from Earth.Or: the war is over, the Voltron Show is over, long live the Great Voltron Show Revival! Now with extra love on the side.





	The Voltron Show: Homecoming!!

**Author's Note:**

> It's a mess, but I made it with love! 
> 
> Inspired by that one tweet about Sheith fan clubs all over the Galaxies. You know what's up, OP.
> 
> English is not my first language, all the mistakes are my own, I am not sorry in the slightest, I love Sheith.

Ok. Here goes. 

Hello! I’m Shiro, former Black Paladin of Voltron, current Captain of the Atlas, and this is my favorite planet in this galaxy. Nay – in this Universe! You guys are the best.

[LOUD CHEERING. AMIDST IT, ONE LONE, BUT VERY STRONG, VERY MUSCULAR VOICE: “WE LOVE YOU, SHIRO!!!”] 

Ha-ha, I love you too! Now, here in Voltron, it takes a lot of love to stay alive! So neither me nor my Paladin friends wouldn’t even be here today without you. Give a round to yourselves, guys and girls and non-binaries and all aliens, c’mon! 

[EVEN LOUDER CHEERING. SOMEONE JUST YELLS ON A VERY HIGH NOTE.] 

Ok, ok, WOW, you guys! Phew! So much love I almost – aw. No. I definitely feel nostalgic now. 

[HIGH-PITCHED SCREEMING FROM FAR LEFT CORNER. SHUSHES FROM CENTER ROWS.]

Well, without further ado, I now present you – this really small story that my Paladin friends and I put together while we were on our endless journey to Earth. It takes on our most cherished memories and was inspired by my ancestors’ traditional theater, and we are very proud to share it with you tonight. This show’ll go without dialogue – “show, don’t tell”, as they so often say on Earth, ha-ha. My friends will wear masks, their feelings will be revealed to you through music and body language only, with a little help from some spectacular stage effects, but in case you’ll find yourselves lost in narration, I’ll be your translarrator. Meaning, I’ll be telling you what’s going on. If you’ll have me.

[LOUDEST CHEERING YET; WOLF-WHISTLES.] 

Oh-kay! Let’s go! I say ‘Vol’, you say –

[ROAR: ‘VOL-TRRRRRRON!!’]

That’s right. Let’s VOLTRON guys! 

[STAGE LIGHTS OUT. ANTICIPATORY ‘OOOOOHHH’ FROM THE AUDIENCE. 

RAW CRY: “SHIRO!!” 

LOUD SHUSHES.]

Long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was just an ordinary guy from Earth who dreamt about the stars. 

[ENTER: A SINGLE SPOTLIGHT ON CENTER STAGE. THERE, IN THE SPOTLIGHT, AGAINST DARK BACKGROUND, STANDS A SOLITARY FIGURE IN WHITE. EVEN ITS’ HAIR ARE WHITE. THE FIGURE IS WEARING A MASK – ALL WHITE, SAVE A LONG BLACK STRIPE OVER THE EYESLITS.]

That’s me. See how I’m all white? That’s cause “Shiro” means “white” in my mother’s language, if you didn’t know it already. Anyway, that ordinary guy from Earth, he loved the stars. And he had a dream. More than anything, he wanted to fly to them. And guess what? One day he did just that.

[ENTER: MUSIC, LOW & EPIC. ON STAGE, ‘SHIRO’ BEGINS A SLOW, MEASURED DANCE; BEHIND HIM, ON THE BACKGROUND, STARS COME TO LIFE, ONE BY ONE. THEY DANCE AROUND HIM; WITH HIM. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL SCENE.]

But there, among the stars, a terrible danger awaited. 

[MUSIC CUTS – FOR THREE TICS, THE SILENCE IS ABSOLUTE. THEN MUSIC PICS UP AGAIN, SPEEDS UP, TURNS FOREBODING. 

ENTER: EIGHT MASKED FIGURES, ALL CLAD IN DARK PURPLE. THEY SURROUND ‘SHIRO’. DESPERATE DANCE TURNS INTO DESPERATE FIGHT. EVENTUALLY, THEY OVERWHELM HIM.]

And that’s the first lesson the stars taught him: not all fights can be won. 

[LIGHTS: OUT.]

But he taught the stars a lesson of his own: never underestimate ordinary gays from Earth. 

[CLAPS AND CHEERING, SO LOUD AND JOYFUL IT ALMOST KILLS THE FOLLOWING DRAMATIC ENTRANCE.

ENTER: SHIRO, TORN AND BATTERED. HE’S STILL IN ALL WHITE, BUT HIS MASK IS TOTALLY BLACK. 

ENTER STAGE LIGHT: BEHIND SHIRO, ON THE BACKGROUND, RISES THE ARENA. ON TOP, STANDS ZARKON – HIS SHADOW LOOMS MENACINGLY ON THE STAGE, ALWAYS NEXT TO ‘SHIRO’, BUT NEVER ON HIM.

ENTER: THE GLADIATORS.] 

They put him to his death, and then he put death on its’ purple furry ass! He was never one to give up the fight, even when he had nothing left to fight for. 

[ON STAGE: ‘SHIRO’ TAKES OFF HIS SHIRT, SHOWING OFF HIS IMPRESSIVE MUSCLES. A VIOLENT DANCE ENSUES.]

(- Oooh, this is actually good! 

\- That’s what Keith said!

\- What - )

Long story short – he won them all. All the fights. Never lost a single one. Just – watch him. Watch me.

[THEY WATCH HIM. THE DANCE IS DEADLY AND WILD. THE MUSIC SPEEDS UP WITH EACH FOE FALLEN. MORE GLADIATORS COME; THEY’RE ALL DEFEATED IN A FEW GRACEFUL MOVES.]

(- He’s beautiful. 

\- You know this isn’t actually a real Shiro out there, right? Like, that – Not our Shiro?

\- Shut the fuck up. It’s art. I know how to appreciate art.

\- You know how to appreciate Shiro, is more like it – 

\- Lance, seriously - )

[MUSIC RISES, ROARS, THEN CUTS OFF. IN SUDDEN SILENCE, SHIRO STANDS STILL, HEAD BOWED, ARM RAISED VICTORIOUSLY; HIS OPPONENTS LIE AT HIS FEAT. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL, INSPIRING SCENE.]

Then, one day, I make my escape. 

[LIGHTS: OFF.]

And it’s not a day I want to remember. They say it was the first escape from the Gladiator’s round in three centuries, they say it was glorious, and I’m sure it would’ve made quite a scene. But we decided to cut it. Because Voltron is not about it. What is Voltron about, you ask? Well, you’ll find out just in a minu – in a tic. You’ll find out in a tic. 

[ON STAGE: SINGLE PURPLE SPOTLIGHT APPEARS, CUTTING THE STAGE IN HALF. IT HIGHLIGHTS SHADOWED REMAINS OF A GALRAN SPACECRAFT. ALL OVER THE STAGE, ARTIFICAL SNOW IS FALLING, GLITTERING. ENTER: SLOW, TENDER MUSIC, THE ONE YOU’VE HEARD ONCE, A LONG TIME AGO, IN YOUR DREAMS.]

Next thing I know, I wake up on my home planet Earth and – WHOAH. What the quiznak! W- woah. 

[IN PURPLE SPOTLIGHT: LIES ‘SHIRO’ SANS SHIRT. HIS THROUSERS ARE TORN. HIS MASK IS WHITE AGAIN, WITH A SINGLE BLACK HANDPRINT OVER IT. ‘SHIRO’ HAS SOME GREAT PECS. THEY’RE GLISTENING IN THE STAGELIGHT. HE MOANS IN DISTRESS AND CONFUSION, WHITHERING SEXUALLY.]

Last thing I remember: I’ve got to get to Earth. I’ve got to warn them about this Galra thing, but most importantly – 

(- What the fuck. We’re in the fucking desert, how come there’s fucking snow – 

\- Now, calm down, Keith, it’s all gonna be explained later in the show –) 

Most importantly: there’s Keith. 

[ENTER: ‘KEITH’. HE’S WEARING A TIGHT BLACK BODYSUIT WITH A RED OBI; HIS MASK IS ALL BLACK.] 

This is Keith. My – my Keith. As long as I can get to him, it’s all somehow gonna be all right. 

[‘AAAAHHHHH’, GOES THE AUDIENCE.] 

I can’t get to him, can’t even move, but it’s ok – he gets to me. He finds me. In the middle of nowhere – like he was always waiting for me, right here. 

[‘KEITH’ COMES UP TO ‘SHIRO’. FONDLES HIS CHEEK, GENTLY. EVEN HIS EXPRESSIONLESS BLACK MASK CAN’T HIDE THE GENTLENESS OF HIS TOUCH.

AUDIENCE: ‘AWWWW’S, GENTLY.]

You see, it’s hard to show, but it’s even harder to tell. How did he find me? How come he’s never stopped waiting for me? How come, while I became the Champion – and in becoming one, have let the Galra erase everything I ever believed myself to be – how come through all this, I’ve kept this, this guiding-  
[STOPS; COUGHS.] -this guiding light, this one location. This place to come back to. You know, before I went to the mission that made me the Champion, the Paladin and Captain that you know, I was told by my – mate, I guess, I guess this is the universal term for it – I was told by my mate that if I went, he wouldn’t be waiting for me to came back, that he had enough with me – 

[LOW ‘BOOO’ FROM THE AUDIENCE.]

\- no, no, he was a great guy, the best, best boyfriend and best pilot in the Garrison, after me, of course – but, well. We didn’t part on the best terms. And. Well, me being me, I got even more fired up to go – go out in the blaze of glory, if nothing else, but then – 

(- Shiro! This is not in the script! Now, your palm trails tenderly down Keith’s cheek, and you realize that this is -)

[‘SHIRO’ RAISES HIS HEAD, LIFTS HIS HAND TO ‘KEITH’’S MASK. TRAILS TENDERLY DOWN HIS CHEEK. HE’S LOOKING AT ‘KEITH’. WHITE SNOW IS FALLING AROUNG THEM, GLITTERING ON THEIR HAIR, ON PURPLE EARTH. THE SCENE IS BEAUTIFUL. 

MUSIC STILLS. TAKES A BREATH. PICKS UP AGAIN: TENDER, ETHEREAL.]

Then, there was always someone – waiting for me. Destiny. No matter how you look at it – it’s destiny. Faith. It’s in the stars. The stars that Keith read, even if he couldn’t possibly have known. He just – waited. He believed. In me. He never gave up on me. 

[AUDIENCE: GHASPS.]

(- Shiro - )

Even then. Even before Voltron. 

(- What the fuck, who fucking wrote this fucking script, Coran, you said it’d be very close to the actual story – 

\- It is! Now - fast forward, Shiro! Blue lion, the gang!) 

So! This concludes Keith saving me for the first time. Oh, but wait – he did have some help.

[ENTER: BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW AND PINK PALADINS. THEY’RE WEARING LION MASKS, THEY’RE HOLDING BAYARDS. MUSIC BOOMS.]

[LOUD CHEERS.]

See that blue one? That’s Lance. Before that night, he never piloted anything worth mentioning. Cargo pilot, that’s what he was, that’s what he was on the way to become for life, but guess what? 

[A LION ROARS. STAGE LIGHTS TURN TO THE BACKGROUND. THERE THEY ARE: FIVE GIANT LIONS’ HEADS, EYES SHINING, BLACK IN THE MIDDLE, BLUE ON IT’S LEFT, MOUTH OPENED INVITINGLY.

IT’S LOOKING AT LANCE. 

ON THE FRONT STAGE, KEITH IS CRADLING HELPLESS TOPLESS SHIRO IN HIS ARMS. MUSIC TURNS WILDLY HOPEFUL.] 

She took to him right away! The only girl in the universe he didn’t try to “pick up”, and she wanted to swallow him on sight. Less particle barrier jokes – more lion action, girls, guys, nonbinaries and alien friends~!

(- HAH! 

\- UGH!

\- Tell them, Shiro!

\- Shiro! You’re supposed to be romantic! Romantic!! Now, Keith tenderly carries you to the Black lion, cradling you in his arms – )

Anyway. We’re going Voltron, and I don’t even know what Voltron is at this point, but I don’t really care. Keith’s got me. 

[‘KEITH’ TENDERLY CARRIES ‘SHIRO’ TO THE BLACK LION, GENTLY CRADLING HIM IN HIS ARMS. PURPLE LIGHT FOLLOWS THEM. MUSIC SLOWS DOWN, FOLLOWING THEIR EVERY MOVE. ’SHIRO’ LOWERS HIS HEAD TO ‘KEITH’’S SHOULDER; ‘KEITH’ STALLS. THEY STAY LIKE THIS, IN PURPLE LIGHT, UNDER GLITTERING SNOW, WHILE BLACK LION ROARS VICTORIOUSLY.]

(- Yes! Wonderful! Now, Shiro, prepare for timeskip - )

[LIGHTS: OUT]

Now, we all had different ideas on how the show’s gonna go from here. Voltron’s done a lot of great stuff, am I right? 

[ECSTATIC CHEERING]

And even greater stuff happened off galactic rebel news network! But these are all stories for another time and place. Tonight, we tell THE Story – tonight, it’s simply the best. Everyone, give it up foooorrrrr – Voltron’s Best Fights: A Medley! Here’s us, heroically liberating the Galaxies. Enjoy!

[LIGHTS: ON. ON STAGE: SIX MASKED PALADINS IN FIGHTING POSES. ‘SHIRO’’S HAND IS ON ‘KEITH’’S SHOULDER. AROUND THEM: PURPLE-CLAD GALRA WARRIORS AND SEVERAL HELPLESS HALF-NAKED ALIENS. 

CUE VOLTRON’S BEST FIGHTS: A MEDLEY. PALADINS LOOK VERY HEROIC. ‘SHIRO’ AND ‘KEITH’ KEEP TRYING TO SAVE EACH OTHER FROM DEADLY BLOWS, STILLING TO LOOK SOULFULLY INTO EACH OTHERS’ EYES AFTER EACH TIME THEY DO. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, ‘SHIRO’ YELLS FOR PALADINS TO FORM VOLTRON. PALADINS FORM A CHEERLEADING PYRAMID: SHIRO ON TOP, KEITH AND HUNK BELOW, HOLDING HIS LEGS, AND ALLURA, PIDGE AND LANCE ON THE BOTTOM, SUPPORTING THEM. LANCE’S MASK WINKS SEDUCTIVELY AT THE AUDIENCE.  
THE FIGTHS ARE SPECTACULAR. EVERY CHILD IN THE GALAXY LOVES THIS PART OF THE SHOW.] 

Along the way, we found out that Keith was part Galra – so he left us to explore his heritage with the noble Blades of Marmora. We missed him dearly – I missed him. A lot. 

[‘KEITH’ LEAVES THE SCENE. ‘SHIRO’ LOOKS AT HIM GO, LONGING CLEAR IN HIS POSE.

AUDIENCE GIVES A COLLECTIVE SIGH. SOBS CAN BE HEARD HERE AND THERE.]

But we fought on.

[THEY FIGHT ON. THE FIGHT IS AWESOME.]

Well, aren’t they – we, I mean, aren’t we awesome? Clap your hands and tentacles for HELL YEAH! 

[LOUD (PARTLY WET) CLAPPING; HOARSE CHEERS.]

Thought so. You guys are suckers for good fights, am I right? Well, hold on to your quiznaks, because – 

[ENTER: THE DRUMS.]

Oh no. Paladins, get ready – it’s now or never! It’s Zarkon, he’s found us!! 

[ENTER: ‘ZARKON’. HE’S MENACING AND VERY MUSCULAR. LOUD YELLS FROM FAR LEFT CORNER: ‘ZARKON’’S GLOWING HORNED MASK DOES NOTHING TO HIDE HIS TRADEMARK EARS AND BRAID.

HEARING THE YELLING, HE STOPS, TURNS TO THE SOUND, TAKES A SMALL BOW. THE FUR ON HIS EARS FLUFFS FORWARD.]

(- Agrh! Kolivan! You’re ruining it, you’re destroying my show! You’ve got to stay in character! I knew we shouldn’t’ve cast amateurs – 

\- Hey, he’s perfectly in character! See, you just said he’s destroying – 

\- Keith, buddy, you’re cool and all, but we’ve gotta talk about favoritism and this selective blindness of yours - )

[‘ZARKON’ STRAIGHTENS HIS SHOULDERS, LIFTS HIS BLACK BAYARD AND TAKES A MENACING POSE. ACROSS THE STAGE, PALADINS STAND ON GUARD, MIRRORING HIM, READY TO FIGHT.  
ON THE BACKGROUND, LIONS ROAR IN UNISON, THEIR EYES SHINING.

HERE COMES THE FIGHT.]

Ah, this is a tough part to narrate. The script just says “Something inspiring!!!”, with three exclamation points, but as someone who’s been in this fight, all I can give you is just a lot of yelling and a lot of grunting. And not the good kind. 

[STIFLED LAUGHTER AND WOLF-WHISTLES AS PALADINS TRY TO SURROUND ‘ZARKON’, WHO FIGHTS WITH ALL HE’S GOT. HE’S GOT A LOT.]

(- HAH! Zarkon can make us grunt, but he can’t make us ~moan~ - 

\- Pffffftffr – hey, this is actually a good one – 

\- LANCE!! And Shiro! What’s wrong with you, this is a wildly emotional moment, as you’re about to realize - )

But really, what is it with me? We’re fighting for our lives here, we’re fighting for the future of the Universe, and all I’m thinking about is how to protect Keith. Who came back for m- us. Of course he came back for us.

(- WHAT?

\- Shhh! Here comes the good part - )

[‘ZARKON’ MAKES A WIDE STRIKE, AND ALL PALADINS FALL AROUND HIM. 

ENTER:’KEITH’. HIS BLADE IS SHINING PURPLE. HE CHARGES AT ‘ZARKON’, FURY INCARNATE. THEY FIGHT AS EQUALS – FOR TWO WHOLE TICS. BUT IT’S A LOST FIGHT. ‘ZARKON’ STRIKES, AND ‘KEITH’ IS TOO SLOW.

‘KEITH’ IS LAYING ON THE FRONT STAGE, HIS BLADE LOST. HIS SUIT IS BADLY DAMAGED, SLIT ON THE FRONT, TO SHOW OFF HIS LEAN ABS.

‘ZARKON’ APPROACHES, LIFTING HIS BAYARD – IT TOOK A FORM OF AN ALTHEAN BLADE, AND IS GLOWING PURPLE.]

Now, as Zarkon approaches to slay Keith, I’m supposed to read this whole monologue about how I grew to love my fellow paladins, how important they are to me, how I just now realized they were my family – but while it’s all true, I just can’t. Because – this is the moment I realized… 

[‘ZARKON’ LIFTS HIS SWORD TO FINISH ’KEITH’ OFF. 

SWORD IS DESCENDING, ‘KEITH’ WHITHERS HOPELESSLY. 

IN THE LAST SECOND, ‘SHIRO’ SWEEPS IN BETWEEN ‘KEITH’ AND THE SWORD, MEETING THE BLADE WITH HIS GLOWING ARM.

‘ZARKON’ ROARS.]

This is the moment I realized that in between all the heroing and saving galaxies and voltroning, I fell in love. This is when I knew. There’s forming Voltron and fighting on for the fate of the Universe – and there’s rushing to Keith’s aid, and for me, it wasn’t even a choice. Because Voltron fights for the Universe, but I – I fight for Keith. First and foremost. Always. 

[‘SHIRO’ ROARS EVEN LOUDER. HE PUSHES UP; ‘ZARKON’ STUMBLES BACK. ‘SHIRO’ FIGHTS ‘ZARKON’ SOLO: IT’S A FIGHT TO THE DEATH. 

AUDIENCE: ‘AWWWWWWWWWW’S.] 

(- What – what is this – 

\- Good, Shiro! Amazing! Now, once more, with feeling – 

\- W- wait - )

Because here is when I realize: I love Keith more than the Universe. That boy from Earth who loved the stars – he went to them, and then came back, and he found his brightest star waiting for him on Earth. And before he even realized it, he fell in love. The Universe didn’t even stand a chance.

[IN A RECKLESS, DESPERATE MOVE, ‘SHIRO’ STRIKES AT ‘ZARKON’S NECK. WHEN ‘ZARKON’ TRIES TO PARRY, WE REALIZE THAT ‘SHIRO’S MOVE IS A TRICK: HE GOES FOR THE ARM.  
‘ZARKON’ HOWLS IN AGONY. HIS SEVERED ARM FALLS TO THE GROUND. ‘SHIRO’ PICKS UP HIS BAYARD. IT ANSWERS TO HIM IMMEDIATELY, TRANSFORMING INTO A GALRAN BLADE, EXACTLY LIKE THE ONE ‘KEITH’S BEEN WEILDING A FEW TICS PRIOR.

AUDIENCE: GHASPS TENDERLY.]

(- Seriously, this is not funny – 

\- Shhhhhhhhh!

\- Dude, seriously, I’m tearing up here, stop ruining the feels!

\- I – 

\- ShhhhHHHHHHHHHH!!)

And I’ll fight for my love to victory – or death. 

[‘SHIRO’ RUNS AT ‘ZARKON’ HEAD ON. HE’S ON FIRE: EVEN HIS PALADIN SUIT GLOWS LIKE IT’S AFLAME. ‘ZARKON’, THOUGH NOW ONE-ARMED, STILL PUTS UP A SPECTACULAR FIGHT; ‘SHIRO’ IS ON A BRINK OF CERTAIN DEATH SEVERAL TIMES, BUT HE FIGHTS IT OFF. 

MUSIC IS DESPERATE AND FULL OF LOVE.

AND THEN, AT LAST, ‘SHIRO’ DEALS THE DEATH BLOW.

‘ZARKON’ STILLS, CLUTCHING AT HIS THROAT. 

THEN, HE FALLS.

SHIRO STANDS ABOVE HIM, VICTORIOUS. HEARING THE AUDIENCE CHEER, HE LIFTS HIS GLOWING HAND IN CELEBRATION, FIST TIGHT ON HIS BAYARD.

AUDIENCE: CHAM-PI-ON! CHAM-PI-ON!! CHAM-PI-ON!!! ]

(- Okay, this stops now. Shiro’s pain is not some cheap galactic entertainment, and I won’t let you – Shiro! Can you hear me? I call this off – 

\- Oh come on, Keith – 

\- Yeah, come on, Keith, Shiro’s the one who forced this pa – oh, shit. Shiro, I know you can hear us, and I’m shutting up now, no warning needed, thank you, see, I can do it – 

\- LANCE!!

\- Lance. What – 

\- Can I go back to my lion, please? I thought we were supposed to be here for the prop– 

\- PIDGE!!

\- For the … props! But they obviously don’t need us, the show’s going swell, so can I go now?

\- Shiro! Are you there? Are you ok?) 

Yes, here I am. Here lies my biggest enemy, slain by my hand, dead at my feet. It’s a feeling I can’t really describe – after all I’ve seen, after all we’ve fought for, it’s both overwhelming and nothing special at the same time. Here goes Zarkon. It’s a big fucking deal for the Universe, but a small step for me to get to love of my life and make sure he’s safe. 

[‘SHIRO’ STEPS OVER ‘ZARKON’S CORPSE. ON THE FRONT STAGE, ‘KEITH’ IS LOOKING AT HIM; HIS HAND REACHES FORWARD, DESPERATE. ‘SHIRO’ FALLS TO HIS KNEES NEXT TO ‘KEITH’, CATCHING HIS HAND IN HIS NON-GLOWING ONE. HE GENTLY BRINGS ‘KEITH’S HAND TO HIS LIPS.]

I get to him, and I’m not going to lose any more time. I’ve lost enough. I’ve nearly lost him. And so, I get to him and just – say it.

‘Cause what is there to say, if not this? In this moment, these are the only words I know.

I love you, Keith.

[AUDIENCE TAKES A COLLECTIVE ASTONISHED BREATH.

ON THE BACKGROUND, ‘ZARKON’ RAISES HIS HEAD AND WAVES AT THE AUDIENCE.] 

(- Kolivan!! That’s it, you’re off the show!!! Ruining my best scene AND spoiling – 

\- …

\- Hey, Keith, buddy, you good? 

\- …

\- I think he’s dead. Did we kill him? This is why I said this was a terrible idea – )

[FROM THE SHADOWS ON THE BACKGROUND, ENTER: ‘HAGGAR’. SHE’S WEARING A DARK HOOD. HER PURPLE MASK GLOWS WITH ALTHEAN MARKINGS.]

If Keith answered anything, I wouldn’t know.

Because these are the last words I remember from that day. 

[‘HAGGAR’ COMES TO SHIRO, REACHES FOR HIM, HE STEPS AWAY. AND THEY BEGIN THEIR DANCE. IT’S A DEADLY, DESPERATE DANCE, WITH SHIRO LEANING AWAY EVERY TIME SHE GETS CLOSE, BUT NEVER MORE THAN ONE STEP APART. THE CHOREO IS IMPECCABLE. THE SCENE IS BEAUTIFUL.

AT ONE POINT, ‘HAGGAR’S HOOD FALLS OFF, REVEALING HER PURPLE SKIN AND A SHORT, STYLISH HAIRDO, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR HAIRSTYLES IN THE GALAXY AT THE MOMENT.  
THE AUDIENSE GHASPS AND BURSTS WITH THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE.]

(- …Mom?! Is that – is that my mom?!

\- It is! And, wow, hot DAMN – 

\- You say one more word about my mom and I’m passing all that to yours tonight. In bed. 

\- HEY!! Really, Keith?! A mom joke? This is low. This is so – 

\- Shhhh! Now! Here it comes!) 

[FINALLY, ‘HAGGAR’ MANAGES TO GET SHIRO – HER HAND TOUCHES HIS MASK RIGHT AT THE CENTER. SHE CASTS A SPELL. QUINTESSENCE SHOOTS FROM HER FINGERS RIGHT INTO ‘SHIRO’S EYES. ‘SHIRO’ SCREAMS, CLUTCHING AT HIS HEAD; HE TRIES TO FIGHT IT, BUT IT’S ALL OVER IN A TIC. 

HE GETS DOWN ON ONE KNEE, BOWING HIS HEAD TO ‘HAGGAR’. HIS EYES GLOW PURPLE.

PALADINS, SANS WOUNDED KEITH, RECOVER FROM THEIR FIGHT WITH ‘ZARKON’, GET UP AND RUSH TO FIGHT ‘HAGGAR’ AND ‘SHIRO’. ‘HAGGAR’ DOESN’T EVEN NEED TO FIGHT: SHE STEPS AWAY, IN THE SHADOWS, WHILE ‘SHIRO’ FIGHTS FOR HER.

‘KEITH’, SHAKING, GETS ON HIS KNEES. FALLS ON ALL FOURS. REACHES HIS ARM TO ‘SHIRO’ – AS IF HE’S SCREAMING: “NO! DON’T HURNT HIM!”]

The script here says Keith is now screaming: No! Don’t hurt him! This part is the one I wish the actors could use their voices for. I mean, you can see the desperation, but you can’t hear it. And I really wish you could. In practice runs, we did it with dialogue, and this scene was – well. It broke my heart. I thought it couldn’t be broken, after all this saving the Universe, and spoiler, and big ass spoiler, and nearly loosing Keith, I thought nothing could even make a chip at my fight-forged heart, but here I am, soft all over, just from one desperate line from Keith in the script that wasn’t ever meant to make it to the actual show. 

He would say that. I mean. I could try to kill him for real, and he – would say. Just that. He would worry – for me. He would try to make sure I wasn’t hurt.

(- Shiro! It’s really good, but too early! The script, follow the script!!

\- Okay, th – this can’t go on! Shiro’s uncomfortable, he’s hurting, and you’re twisting his real story, you’re twisting his pain into this – this – 

\- Oh for fuck’s sake, chill your ass, firecracker, can’t you tell he’s into it? He’s flying on his own here, and you would know if you deigned to read the script – 

\- LANCE! That’s strike two for you –

\- Hey! All for me and none for fired-up loverboy over there? I mean, this is how it normally goes re: some feisty action, but now, in this context, I am really offended – 

\- STOP! Shiro! Coran – this stops right now! How can you make him say – say – 

\- Now, Keith – I am not ‘making’ him say anything! A lot of this show is built on his improvisation, here, look at the script, it just says ‘regretful’ and ‘desperately in love’ here, his scripted second love confession to you comes way later in Act II –)

[‘SHIRO’ FIGHTS OFF ALL THE PALADINS, LEAVING THEM ON THE GROUND. HE DROPS ONE LAST LONG LOOK AT ‘KEITH’, WHO’S STILL REACHING FOR HIM. FOR A TIC, IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S REMEMBERING SOMETHING.]

But maybe – maybe me, forgetting myself, forgetting my confession, maybe Keith’s answer I never even got to hear – maybe it was all for the best. You know – nothing like good old mind control and some convenient memory loss to save you the embarrassment of unreciprocated love confession. Phew! It would be so awkward if I didn’t have my beautiful Haggar on my mind. 

[BUT THE MOMENT PASSES. ‘SHIRO’ TURNS AWAY. ‘HAGGAR’ IS WAITING FOR HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOWING STONE CIRCLE, SHE’S BECKONING HIM, AND HE COMES.]

Keith did always call me his brother, after all.

(- Shiro, you know Keith loves you for real, right? He’s gone all blushy here, and – and he’s gonna stab me with his Galra dagger, oh my god, what the hell, why am I even TRYING to help you losers – 

\- Shush, you mongrels! Shiro, it’s perfect! An element of desperate suspense, voiced out loud by one of the lovers! Unconditional love! You’re almost too good – 

\- Can I PLEASE go to my lion, I’ve got an urgent transmission from – Phatzerfank – that’s a real planet – ) 

[‘KEITH’ REACHES FOR ‘SHIRO’ ONE LAST TIME, DESPERATE. HE TRIES TO CRAWL, BUT HE’S TOO WEAK, TOO HURT; HE FALLS, AND PUSHES UP, AND KEEPS CRAWLING. 

‘SHIRO’ AND ‘HAGGAR’ STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CIRCLE – AND DISAPPEAR IN A BLINDING FLASH OF PURPLE LIGHT.

MUSIC CUTS.

‘KEITH’ FALLS TO THE GROUND, DEFEATED, HIS SHOULDERS SHAKING.

IN THE SILENCE, WE CAN HEAR HIS RAGGED BREATHING. WE CAN HEAR A SINGLE, STIFLED SOB.]

Here’s the big cliffhanger, right? I bet you all think you know how this goes next. You’re all waiting for Keith to save me, to fight for me as I try to kill him, for him to break Haggar’s control over me by saying that – that he does, too. Well, maybe you’re right. And maybe you know nothing at all. And that’s the whole point: you never know the future. All you can do is hope.

What is a love story without a happy ending, you wonder? Is it even a love story at all, if the Champion in distress does not get to kiss his Paladin in shining armor in the end, at the dawn of a beautiful new era for the Universe?  
Well.

Keith did always call me his brother, after all.  
And that’s love, too. So it is a love story, no matter how it will end.  
Keith will never give up on me. 

And it will be more than enough.  
You’ll see.  
In Act II. 

[LIGHTS: OUT.]

[APPLAUSE: THUNDEROUS.]

(- Guys? Guys, I think we’ve lost Keith for real this time. 

\- This was a terrible idea. 

\- Hey, you loved it! You were the one who suggested we do this! 

\- I was joking! And you supported it, and that’s when I should’ve known it was all gonna blow up in our faces! 

\- Pidge, what are you talking about? They love it! Can’t you hear them? Ah, the cheers, the applause, these sweet, sweet sounds of our fans and supporters recognizing my creative genius?

\- Yeah, right, if by ‘your genius’ you mean ‘making Shiro write his own lines’. 

\- Only a fool would think these words could be so good without the script. It’s the idea that makes the show! 

\- It’s Shiro being in love with Keith that makes the show! I mean! I teared up! And I read the script five times, and all it did was made me hungry for pizza they eat in that flashback near the end of Act II! You know, after defeating Zombie Lotor but before Zombie Haggar gets her hold on Keith?

\- Hunk!! Spoiler warning, if you please! You’re lucky Keith’s so out of it he can’t hear – 

\- I need to talk to Shiro.

\- Oh good! Keith! You’re still with us! Phew! Welcome back! Please tell them you didn’t hear the spoilers I just mentioned – 

\- Shiro? Are you – can you hear me? Can we talk? 

\- No!! You can absolutely not talk right now! Now, Keith, you weren’t here for Original Voltron Show, you don’t know what it means, to be an actor, what it takes to be a leading star, so you don’t realize how important a relaxing intermission is for one, and while I can’t really blame you for asking, I can and will call you out as inconsiderate – 

\- H-hey, Keith. 

\- Shiro! H- hey. I – 

\- Shiro!! You’re not supposed to be here! Backstage, backstage! Captain Shirogane, report to your dressing room right now!

\- Um. So – you don’t like the show? 

\- Of course I – I mean, the show is – why are you even asking me? We should be asking you. Are you ok with all this? Aren’t you – isn’t it too personal? The show is fine, Shiro, what I can’t stand is that you had to turn your real pain into this – crowd pleaser, and I can hear that you’re suffering, I know you, all right, I can tell by the sound of your voice – 

\- Um. Well – yeah. I am perfectly ok with all of this. It – ah, it helps, actually. Besides, who’s better to tell my story than myself? I think I did pretty good out there. 

\- You were incredible! But if it’s supposed to be your story, doesn’t it bother you that Coran made our relationship into – that he – that. I mean – you certainly weren’t – 

\- Shiro! Get back to your dressing room! Act II, remember?! ‘Cough’ – fession! Romantic! Act II!!

\- Maybe you haven’t heard, but our, um, relationship – it has become well-known across the universe, and many wish to see it in a romantic light, and there are lots of stories – 

\- Simple folk tales, of course, not nearly as refined as my play – 

\- So when we were discussing the show, I thought – I just thought it would be cool. You know. Now that the war is over, we don’t really need all the excess heroic fighting to rally the rounds, right? So we’ll throw a bit of love in the plot, to liven it up. And give the people what they want! It would be awesome! You know? Yeah.

\- What he actually said was “There would be no Voltron without love. Behind every fight we ever won was a person, a memory, a world we wanted to protect with our lives”. Or something like this, I don’t really remember the words, but it was really heroic. You know how he gets when it’s time to lead, theatrical production or intergalactic war or whatever, Shiro the Hero’s got it, ever inspiring! “You can spell Voltron without love, but you can’t form Voltron without it!” This one I remember. Shiro’s awesome. 

\- Hunk, please, don’t encourage him! Shiro, that dressing room’s missing you! It’s calling for you! Can’t you hear it’s crying ‘cause you abandoned it? 

\- ... There are stories? 

\- Yeah, Keith, you’ve gotta hear the one about you and Shiro getting lost in spacetime and finding each other again by pining and turning the radio on. Shiro listens to a love song in 3057 on Deneb’s Pearl, and sings along, and you hear it in 1635 on Earth, in the wind, and follow the wind to a spacetime portal – It’s beautiful. It’s called “Rainbow’s End”. 

\- Now really isn’t the time for fic recs, Lance! Besides, “Quiznacks in our black holes” is way better – 

\- Um. And you really – don’t mind? That they – that everyone sees us like this? 

\- …I really don’t mind at all. But if you do, we can cancel – 

\- Shiro, please go back to backstage, I swear we have it under control. Act II, remember? The Grand Finale! The one we all got here for! I’ll let Keith stab me while we wait for it, and it will be worth it! Just –

\- I don’t mind if you don’t! I mean – I was worried that you hated it, what’s with everyone labeling your feelings as what they’re not, when it’s supposed to be your story, told by yourself, as you’ve said. 

\- Oh God, this is painful. I am never falling in love. Hunk, I need you to promise that you’ll kill me if I ever get like this. Be swift and show no mercy. 

\- Keith, have you read the script yet? 

\- … No. I’m sorry? I know you wanted me spoiler-free for the premiere, so. No-one even showed it to me before 30 minutes ago.

\- In the closing scene, me, Zarkon and Lotor try to fight you off while Haggar tries to become the Goddess of the Universe. You as you alone, ‘cause Haggar wanted to lure you and the Black away from Voltron, and she knew you’d only do this for me. 

\- Well thank you for ruining my exquisite build-up, Shiro, now for the love of Kattlenecker please go back to the d-

\- We have passed the event horizon. It’s happening. Coran, quick, call Krolia and Kolivan, they might still make it in time!

\- You fight all three of us, we overwhelm you, you get too weak and wounded, and Haggar’s druids take a hold of you. They try to get you under their control, to zombify you, and as they succeed, I snap out of it. Seeing you trying to fight it off, I remember myself. And then I call to you, I say – these words again – and you shake the hypno juice off, and then the gang shows up and we defeat Haggar and her squad in a beautiful, inspiring scene. 

\- The ‘Hypno Juice’?? Shiro, you saved the Universe multiple times, and then you put ‘hypno juice’ out there, like you’re proud to be lame and have no shame. You’re so lucky you’re hot. 

\- Every other scene in this script is ‘beautiful’ and ‘inspiring’. Speaking of creative genius.

\- Then, the dawn breaks. The Universe is victorious, celebrations are go everywhere, there are even fireworks, in the sunrise, ‘case why not, right, and through it all, I hold you in my arms, for a change. And then – as you’re bleeding out on me, and I’ll have nothing to lose if I lose you, I say it again. 

\- … What is ‘it’, again? 

\- I love you, Keith. I love you more than the stars, the sky, the Universe. There are no stars for me without you. 

\- Ooooh.

\- Shhhh!

\- Anyone’s got their camera on?

\- Guys, do you see what I see? 

\- I see Shiro carelessly ruining a month of preparations the most perfect stage play that’s ever been written. We’re ruined!

\- And you never answer me on stage, and I never narrate it, because I don’t know what you’d say. All I’m sure of now is that you’d hate this, and all the attention, and – this was stupid, too real for a simple fan service show, right? What I mean is – they are not really misinterpreting my feelings. 

\- Oh.

\- And I wanted – I was supposed to – after the show, you know. To hear your answer. This whole show is – it’s actually one big, two hours long love confession. And of you – if I am misreading this, if all you’ve ever seen me as is really a brother, then we can pretend this whole love stuff is all simply part of the sh-mpmmmph.

\- Finally. Don’t worry, guys, I’ve had my camera on since Shiro came in here. 

\- AaaaaaawwW!! Yeah, baby! I knew Keith would kiss him first and wouldn’t even make it to curtain call. Coran, you owe me 10 000 gac!

\- Too bad we can’t have them kiss on stage. All these masks and all. All right, it’s decided! Next run we’re doing with full original cast, plus Keith! 

\- … What is it? 

\- You’ll get to kiss Shiro on stage, Keith. For all the Universe to see. 

\- Oh. Sure. I’m in. Where’s the dressing room?

\- Mine’s pretty big. We can share. 

\- Wow, not wasting time, ey, guys? 

\- Shiro! No, you absolutely can not share, and Keith, you’re not doing Act II now, I was talking about the next show! Next show! Where you two will absolutely not share the dressing room! Kei-

\- Stage lights on in 7 minutes, guys! You better be late, or Lance’ll tease you forever! 

\- HEY!! The timing is just as important as the script! You funk it - you’re off the show, you’re banned!

\- They won’t funk your rules, they will fuck them instead. I’m already sorry I said that, please stop hitting me!

\- Aaaand cut. You know. Maybe love’s not so bad. Bet I can figure out how to not make it make you stupid. An anti-lovesick shot! 

\- Bet you won’t ever make one that’ll work on those two. But you can test-drive on me. God, I miss Allura. 

\- And I missed you, my friends. Lance. 

\- Al- Allura! You’re early! 

\- Well, I really wanted to be here for the Grand Finale! So. What did I miss? 

\- Come here first, Princess. I’m gonna give you a kiss. 

\- Aaaaand cut! Man, our behind the scenes video is gonna be trending for years. Oh, by the way, Allura? They did it. Are currently doing it. Whatever. No Grand Finale - just - finally! 

 

[36 MINUTES LATER:  
STAGE LIGHTS: ON.]

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!! hope you enjoyed uwu


End file.
